Demountable machine handle



july 12y 1949. E. S. GEQRGE ET Alm 476,936

DEMOUNTABLE MACHIE HANDLE Filed Aug. 8, 1946 HTTVS Patented July 12, 1949 UNITED STATES OFFICE'.I

DEMOUN TABLE MACHINE HANDLE Application August 8, 1946, Serial No. 689,215

1 Claim.

This invention relates to handles, and in particular to machine or equipment handles.

One object of this invention is to provide a machine or equipment handle which is demountable into a plurality of sections, whereby it may be packed or stored in small space or whereby the machine to which it is attached may be conveniently shipped in a small crate complete with the handle or transported without one part or" the handle in the baggage compartment of an ordinary passenger automobile.

Another object is to provide a demountable machine or equipment handle having a yoke portion for attachment to the machine or equipment, such as a lawnmower, roller, sweeper or the like and a removable shaft portion carrying a cross bar with hand grips thereon for the purposes set forth in the preceding object.

Another object is to provide a demountable machine or equipment handle, as set forth in the preceding objects, wherein the yoke portion carries a connection member telescoping or mating with a correspondingly recessed shaft portion, with suitable fasteners for detachably holding these parts together.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following description of the accompanying drawings, wherein: A

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a demountable machine or equipment handle according to a preferred form of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a right-hand side elevation of the handle shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged front elevation, partly in longitudinal section, of the connection between the yoke portion and the shaft portion of the handle, showing certain details thereof; and

Figure 4 is a front elevation of the handle shown in Figures 1 and 2 in its demounted condition ready for packing, transportation or storage.

Certain machines or equipment, such as lawnmowers, rollers, sweepers and similar devices are customarily provided with handles for guiding or propelling them. These handles are ordinarily provided with a shaft having at one end a yokeshaped portion consisting of diverging arms adapted to be connected to the machine or equipment. The upper end of the shaft is ordinarily provided with a cross bar with or without hand grips at the opposite ends thereof for the grasp of the operator.

Hitherto, the handles thus provided have been made in a single unit. Such unitary handles are of considerable length in comparison with the dimensions of the machine to which they are to be attached and hence it is often necessary to crate and ship the handle apart from the machine to which it is to be attached. Such shipment in separate crates often results in the arrival of the machine ahead of the handle, or vice versa, or in the temporary loss of the handle in shipment, giving rise to frequent complaints from dealers and customers. When the handle is shipped in the same crate with the machine, however, the crate is unnecessarily bulky, resulting in seriously increased shipping charges as Well as in the unduly increased cost oi the crate and its handling. Furthermore, a machine rwith a conventional unitary handle is an unwieldy article when it is desired to transport the machine or to store it for an extended period of time. It is ordinarily diiicult and inconvenient to remove the handle, and the handle is not necessary when it is desired to transport the machine to a repair shop for repairs or for sharpeningof the cutting blades or cutting reel. Since the machine cannot be placed conveniently in the baggage compartment of an ordinary passenger automobile or in the passenger compartment thereof, such transportation is inconvenient and often impossible without the use of a truck. The ordinary user, however, does not usually have access to a truck.

The present invention provides a machine or equipment handle which eliminates all these difculties by making the handle demountable so that the shaft and cross bar portion is readily detached from the yoke portion, enabling the latter to be retained in position connected to the machine or equipment. The shaft and cross bar unit is of a suiciently short length to be packed in the same crate with the machine or equipment carrying the yoke portion, and the latter unit may be transported with or without the shaft and cross bar unit, in the baggage compartment of an ordinary passenger automobile.

Referring to the drawings in detail, Figure l shows a demountable machine or equipment handle, generally designated 9 as consisting of a tubular shaft portion I0 having a preferably tubular cross-bar I'I secured at I2, as by welding, to the shaft portion I0 and forming an upper handle unit, generally designated I3. Mounted on the outer ends of the cross bar I I and secured thereto in any suitable manner, as by cementing, are hand grips I4 of rubber or other suitable material.

The lower end of the shaft portion I is arranged to t over and mate with the reduced diameter portion I5 of a stem I5 having its lower end drilled as at I'I to provide a tubular end portion I8. The latter is secured at I9, as by welding,l to a tubular yoke portion of preferably arcuate iorm and having its ends 2l flattened to provide ears 22 with holes 23 therein for connection to the machine or equipment. rlhe tubular end' I8 is formed in the stem I6 in order to facilitate welding and to effect an even heat distribution between the stem I6 and the tubular yoke portion 2U during such weld-ing'. The; re,- duced diameter portion I5 of the stem I5 is of such a diameter as to fit into the interior 2'IIv of the tubular shaft portion I0. The yokeportion 20 and stem I6 together form a lower handle unit,-

generally designated 25.

The stem I6 and shaft por-tion I ll are provided with aligned holes 26 and 27 for the reception of yfasteners 28, such as bolts, whereby the parts may -be firmly held together yet instantly separated, andv demounted when desired. The-stem I6: is preferably of an outer diameter cor-respond'- ing. to the outer diameter of the tubular shaft portion It! so that a smooth transitionA occurs therebetween, the annular shoulder 2S?y engaging the lower end of the shaft I without yan external ridge! or shoulder (Figure 3) l'rornv Figure-4 4- it wil-libe seenv that the overall length: oi the tubular `shaft portion- Ill, cross bar IIZ and han-d grips I@ isonlyslightly greater than the. span of the-yoke portion 20 between its ends 22, so that boththe upper and lower handle units I3 and 25 may be packed in a crate having. fthe lengthr of' but one ofithem and also ,containing the machine, suchas alawnmower, rotor, sweeper or the like towhich the: handle is` to be i aplplied.

In the-usev of the handle 9, the-` opposite `ends 2-I of theV yoke portion 25 are spreadapart to spring the holes23 inthe ears. 22.over oppositely pro-jectingpns- (not shownl in the machine or equipment; The machine yor equipment, with: the lower handle unitv 25 thus mounted thereon, may belpacked in a crate which is very little, if ata-ll, larger than the crate ordinarily employedi Yto ship the machine or equipmenty by itself; The `upper handle unit I 3may then be packed.' in the same; crate with the'm-achineor equipment car-rying: the lower handle unit25, suchasin'ltheposition shown in Figure 4. I

When: the assembly arrives at its destination and: is: uncrated, the upper handle unit'v ltr is slipped' upon. the reduced diameterportion I of the-stem I5 and the holesZS and 2T: alignedwith one. another, whereupon the i fasteners,- 28 may be insertedand tighteneditoassemble: the wpper and lower handle units I3 and 25 into the demountable handle 9, which then assumes the appearance shown in Figure 1.

lli the user subsequently ydesires to transport the machine in the baggage compartment of an ordinary passenger automobile, he merely removesglthe fasteners 28 and separates the upper and lower handle units-f I3 and 215. The machine or equipment, with the lower handle unit 25 left in position thereon, may then Ibe loaded into the baggage'com-partment, with or without the upper handle unit I3, as the circumstances require. If

` the machine or equipment is merely to be repairedl or sharpened, the upper handle unit I3 may be# left behind. The lower handle unit 25 also serves as av -convenient means of lifting the machine or equipment, when thus transported, and in this respect the yoke poni-,ion 20 serves as a handle or bail.

While we have shown and described our invention. in detail, it is: topbe. understood thatr the same is, tolbelimitedfonly by theaappendedf; claim, for many changes. mayflbe- Without departing from the. spirit and'scopefoouninverrtionl Whatwe claimk isz:

A handle for usev with.- av lawn. mower-comprising a tubular'yoke-shaped membenhavinga. stem portiony secured thereto and,4 projecting transversely outward therefrom intermediateyth'eends thereof. in, they opposite. direction@ from said; ends, a tubular shaft having az crossmelmben-with hand gripsv thereon, said shaft terminating short of said yokefshaped member, saidi stem portion entering and releasably engaging,v theendportionf of said tubular shaft, in: overlapping relationship, and; a clamping device: releasably: securing said shait to said stem; portion, thenoveralll lengthi of said tubular shaft, cross:member` handigrips being only slightly.- greater than the. spanv of said yoke-shaped member whereby: when thefhandle is: clisassembled;v it may.- be=v readily packed 'im the saine containerrasthe mower;

S: GEQRGE: HAROLD; L. BLYDENBURGH:

REEERENCES- GI'IEBE' The followingv reierenlcesare of'j record". inthe l'e of this patent:

UNITED STATES- Pari?NrfrslV Y Number Name Datey 271,471 Johnston Jan.- 30,'18'83 273,469 cmdweu-fet ai. Maracrsa 1,850,326 Keuy Mar; 22,, 11932 2,252,126'l Kersey Aug;.1fa{ 194,1 

